Device for cutting fruit and vegetables, in particular onions

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cutting fruit and vegetables, in particular onions, having a cutter member ( 3 ) that has a plurality of blades ( 2 ) and having a counterpart element ( 4 ) against which the cutter member ( 3 ) is pressed for cutting the material to be cut, wherein the counterpart element ( 4 ) has a punch ( 5 ) which presses the material to be cut through the cutter member ( 3 ), or the blades ( 2 ) thereof. For receiving the cut material, a container ( 6 ) is releasably disposed on the cutter member ( 3 ), on its side remote from the counterpart element ( 4 ), in the region of the blades ( 2 ). The container ( 6 ) is mounted upside down on the cutter member ( 3 ) to allow a user to operate the device with two hands by pressing with one hand on a free end of the cutter member ( 3 ) and by pressing with the other hand on the bottom of the container ( 6 ) to pivot the cutter member ( 3 ) downward.

1 . A device for cutting fruits and vegetables, comprising:
 a cutter member ( 3 ) including a plurality of blades ( 2 ),   a counterpart element ( 4 ) against which the cutter member ( 3 ) is pressed for cutting the material to be cut, wherein the counterpart element ( 4 ) has a punch ( 5 ) which presses the material to be cut through the blades ( 2 ) of the cutter member ( 3 ),   said cutter member ( 3 ) and said counterpart element ( 4 ) comprising boardlike members which are pivotally connected at one end thereof,   said counterpart element ( 4 ) having a base ( 9 ) which rests on a work surface during the cutting action of the device,   said cutter member ( 3 ) and said counterpart element ( 4 ) being supported for pivotal movement relative to one another to allow the blades to pivot downward against the punch ( 5 ) to cut a fruit or vegetable placed on the punch ( 5 ),   a container ( 6 ) mounted upside down on the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) remote from the counterpart element ( 4 ) for receiving the cut material pressed by the punch ( 5 ) through the blades ( 2 ) of the cutter member ( 3 ) with the container ( 6 ) upside down and for collecting the cut material when the device is turned over to orient the container ( 6 ) upright,   said container ( 6 ) having an open top mounted adjacent to the blades of the cutter member ( 3 ) and a closed bottom ( 11 ) projecting upward from the cutter member ( 3 ) during the cutting action of the device,   means for releasably fastening the top of the container ( 6 ) to the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) whereby the container ( 6 ) can be attached to and separated from the cutter member ( 3 ) by a user, and wherein   said closed bottom of the container is exposed to allow a user to operate the device with two hands by pressing with one hand on a free end of the cutter member and by pressing with the other hand on the bottom of the container to pivot the cutter member downward.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the container ( 6 ) is mounted at an intermediate position along the cutter member ( 3 ) between the pivotally connected end and the free end of the cutter member ( 3 ). 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the container ( 6 ) is mounted at a position surrounding the blades to allow the user to exert a force on the cutter member ( 3 ) in the area of the blades by pressing on the container. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the bottom of the container ( 6 ) has a rounded peripheral edge to be comfortably gripped by the user during the operation of the device. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) has a recessed area formed therein adjacent to the blades for receiving the top of the container ( 6 ). 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the blades are located in an opening formed in the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) within the recessed area of the cutter member ( 3 ). 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the cutter member ( 3 ) includes a ledge extending around the opening in the recessed area for engaging the top of the container ( 6 ) when the container ( 6 ) is placed into the recessed area. 
   
   
       8 . A device for cutting fruits and vegetables, comprising:
 a cutter member ( 3 ) including a plurality of intersecting blades ( 2 ),   a counterpart element ( 4 ) including a punch ( 5 ) which presses the material to be cut through the intersecting blades ( 2 ) of the cutter member ( 3 ) when the cutter member ( 3 ) and the counterpart element ( 4 ) are pressed together,   said cutter member ( 3 ) and said counterpart element ( 4 ) comprising boardlike members which are pivotally connected at one end thereof,   said counterpart element ( 4 ) having a base ( 9 ) which rests on a work surface during the cutting action of the device,   said counterpart element ( 4 ) being located below and pivotally connected to the cutter member ( 3 ) to allow the blades to pivot downward against the punch ( 5 ) on the counterpart element ( 4 ) to cut a fruit or vegetable placed on the punch ( 5 ),   said punch ( 5 ) including a plurality of projections for supporting the fruit or vegetable which provide a plurality of indentations ( 8 ) corresponding with the intersecting blades ( 2 ) of the cutter element ( 3 ) for receiving the blades ( 2 ) when the cutter element ( 3 ) and the counterpart element ( 4 ) are pivoted together,   a container ( 6 ) mounted in an inverted position on the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) remote from the counterpart element ( 4 ) for receiving the cut material pressed by the punch ( 5 ) through the blades ( 2 ) of the cutter member ( 3 ) with the container ( 6 ) in the inverted position and for collecting the cut material when the device is turned over to orient the container ( 6 ) in an upright position,   said container ( 6 ) having an open top mounted adjacent to the blades of the cutter member ( 3 ) and a closed bottom ( 11 ) projecting upward from the cutter member ( 3 ) during the cutting action of the device,   one or more fasteners on the container ( 6 ) for releasably fastening the top of said container ( 6 ) to the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) whereby the container ( 6 ) can be attached to and separated from the cutter member ( 3 ) by a user, and wherein   said closed bottom of the container is exposed to allow a user to operate the device with two hands by pressing with one hand on a free end of the cutter member and by pressing with the other hand on the bottom of the container to pivot the cutter member downward.   
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the container ( 6 ) is mounted at an intermediate position along the cutter member ( 3 ) between the pivotally connected end and the free end of the cutter member ( 3 ). 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the container ( 6 ) is mounted at a position surrounding the blades to allow the user to exert a force on the cutter member ( 3 ) in the area of the blades by pressing on the container. 
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom of the container ( 6 ) has a rounded peripheral edge to be comfortably gripped by the user during the operation of the device. 
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) has a recessed area formed therein adjacent to the blades for receiving the top of the container ( 6 ). 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the blades are located in an opening formed in the top of the cutter member ( 3 ) within the recessed area of the cutter member ( 3 ). 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the cutter member ( 3 ) includes a ledge extending around the opening in the recessed area for engaging the top of the container ( 6 ) when the container ( 6 ) is placed into the recessed area.